Evolve
by torchestogether
Summary: Marah isn't enchanted with Batman like the rest of Gotham. Seeing the copycats of Batman, she decides that what Gotham needs is more chaos. More destruction. More people like the Joker.
1. Chapter One: Liberation

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics. **

**Chapter One: Liberation**

The television at work apparently only had one channel in the eyes of my boss. I had seen the clip at least one hundred times during my shift. The crowd on the news cheered. The recap of Batman's latest crime intervention had been on repeat for hours now. The diner was full of people wanting to watch the same clip again and again someplace. I guess watching it on their own television gets old after the first thousand times.

Oh, the wonderful Batman is at it again! Gotham's hero had been on his game lately, that's for sure. The streets had been declared safe and people were beginning to relax. The Scarecrow had given everyone a good scare, but that was all behind them now.

I, for one, was not in love with Gotham's savior as much as the rest of the city. Sure, he made all of those perfect families with the perfect 2.5 children feel safe, but to me he was just an irritation. Some guy who thinks he should be a superhero because he has the money to buy all his toys just does not impress me. Of course, no one else can know I think that or I'll be his next target, I'm sure. Anything less than blind adoration and you must be in the mob or ready to blow up a bank.

"Honey, did you hear the good news?" an balding, middle aged man asked me, looking me up and down.

"That Batman saved us all again?" I said, just barely able to contain my sarcasm.

"That's right, babe," he replied, "How about we go and celebrate? When does your shift end?"

As great an offer as that sounded like, I think I would rather jump off one of Gotham's skyscrapers. These businessmen were all alike. Each one thought they were a gift to all women.

"Gee, thanks, but I'm here for the rest of the night. I won't be leaving any time soon," I told him, trying to refrain from rolling my eyes.

"Your loss, babe," the man informed me.

_I'm just sure_, I thought.

Before I had a chance to turn around, my boss called across the diner, "Marah, your shift is over. Go ahead and get out of here and celebrate!"

_Awesome,_ I thought, as the scumbag in front of me narrowed his eyes. These kind of men do not like being lied to, especially when it concerns a possible "evening out."

I turned on my heel and hurried over behind the counter to grab my bag. Without another glance behind me, I left the laughs and yells of the diner. The cold air and darkness of the city was a welcome change. I had little patience for other people, but apartments cost money and a job was the only way to get that.

As I walked back to my apartment, the sounds of people filtered down. I lived in a bad part of town; it wasn't quite the Narrows, but it also was not Wayne Manor, by any means. I liked it that way though. People here kept to themselves; no one wanted to get too friendly with strangers or you get killed. I could come and go as I pleased at any time of the day or night and no one would say anything.

I was almost to my street when I heard it: the footsteps. I hurried my pace and tried to push it out of my mind. I was almost home; I could make it.

"Babe, where do you think you're going?" a voice called out.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath.

It was the man from the diner. I recognized the vile tone of his voice. He seemed to have somehow gotten right behind me. I could smell his disgusting, cheap cologne wafting off his sweat stained suit.

I turned to look at him. His anger was written all over his face. My lie at the diner had not been taken lightly. Rich men take kindly to having their pride broken. The only thing I could do was keep from showing any fear and stand up to him with some shred of dignity.

The man crept even closer, "Well, doll, how about you give me a chance?"

"I don't think so," I told him, shaking my head.

"Oh really, now? And why is that?" he asked, close enough that I could feel the alcohol induced heat coming off of him and the vodka on his breath.

"Not interested," a neutral reply sometimes helps placate people.

The man grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to bridge the space left between us. His fingers dug into my skin, bruising them instantly. He forced me backwards toward a wall of a nearby building. Looking up and down the street, I saw that there was no one outside but us.

_Where is Batman now?_ I thought bitterly.

Flashes of an attack from a year ago went through my mind. This had happened before on this very street and Batman had not come to my rescue then either. I was on my own then and I was again this time.

Rage spread through my entire body, _This is not going to happen again._

Summoning all my strength, I pushed against my attacker. He must have been just drunk enough to be unsteady on his feet because my push was enough to make him stagger back. Instead of running away, I focused my fury at the man before me. I would _not_ be taken advantage of again.

I ran over to him and kicked him in the crotch with everything I had. He bent over in pain, giving me the opportunity to elbow him over the head. He fell to the ground with a grunt, but stayed down. I continued to kick him in the side until he went limp. I gave him one last blow to the head and then stopped, looking at the now crumpled attacker.

My breath came in shallow gasps. My pulsed raced. I was sure he wasn't going to get up again any time soon, so I turned and walked down the street with my head held high.

Never again would I let myself be attacked. I was capable of taking care of myself.

_Who needs Batman?_ I thought triumphantly.


	2. Chapter Two: Sparks

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics.**

**Chapter Two: Sparks**

I stood in the tiny bathroom of my apartment. The cold floor hurt my bare feet, but I didn't even care. I had just beaten down an attacker all on my own. I hit and kicked the man until he couldn't even move. I could still feel the force of my blows on my knuckles. My heart was still beating as fast as it was when I fought back.

A normal girl might feel scared. Scared that her attacker would come find her in the night for revenge or scared that the police would find out what happened. A normal girl might be upset. She might feel guilty that she hurt another human being.

I wasn't scared. I wasn't upset. I certainly did not feel guilty.

I felt…good. Really good.

Staring into the grime covered mirror, I studied my reflection. I still looked the same. I had the same long, dark, wavy hair that I had to constantly shake out of my face. I was still pale and thin and awkward.

The same bright green eyes stared back at me, but this time they had life behind them. I had a wild look in my eyes that I never had before. No longer was I apathetic or depressed.

I liked it.

Thinking back on my fight, I began to laugh. It wasn't my normal laugh; it was full of life. It felt amazing to find something that made me feel _alive_ for once.

**The Next Day**

I woke up the next morning and got ready for work. My knuckles were bruised and sore, but it only served to remind me of the night before. The memory of it still put a smile on my face. It was the first time in a long time that I woke up in the morning feeling good about the day.

I went to work with a spring in my step. It felt like I was invincible. It seemed like my enthusiasm was evident on the outside as well because my boss pulled me aside as soon as I went got through the door.

"Are you on drugs?" my boss asked; he was never a subtle person.

I laughed, uncharacteristically, "Of course not, Doug."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Why are you so happy then?"

"I'm happy because today is a good day. Am I not allowed to have a good day?" I shot back.

"Sure…" he was still suspicious, "Just do your work, okay?"

He spun on his heel and went back into the greasy kitchen. His suspicious and unease gave me a bit of a giggle as I put my bag away and got to work. It would seem that nothing could dampen my new mood.

My shift went by quickly. I had a lot to think about to pass the time. In between taking orders and putting up with rude customers, I was contemplating what I should do next to keep this invulnerable feeling going. Beating up the attacker was only step one. I needed to replicate that again.

I needed to feel alive.

"Hey, someone turn up the television!" someone shouted.

_Oh great, another Batman victory!_ I thought sardonically, _So much for feeling good._

"Urgent news from the Gotham Police Department," the newscaster said, "It seems that we have a terrorist threat within the city of Gotham. Earlier this evening, a video tape has come out that calls for the unmasking of Batman. The man in the video calls himself the Joker. The video is extremely graphic, so we ask you to view with the utmost discretion."

The entire diner went silent. All heads turned toward the ancient television in the corner to find out about Gotham's next villain.

The tape came on and man dressed as Batman was shown beaten and tied up. It was obvious a copycat that was too stupid and got himself caught. The video then was turned and present us with a man dressed in purple. His face showed a terrifying attempt at clown's makeup, with shocking green hair to top it off.

_Hmm…interesting_, I thought.

Usually the "villains" of Gotham were either in the mob or had a half-assed attempt of a disguise. This Joker guy actually had something going for him here. He looked like a true villain.

"If you want order in Gotham, Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in. Oh, and every day he doesn't, people will die, starting tonight. I'm a man of my word," the man declared, ending in a maniacal laugh.

The video ended with the screams of the fake Batman.

The newscaster came back on, "Well there you have it, Gotham. More than ever, we need to depend on Batman. Will he turn himself in? Or will the Joker continue his reign of terror?"

Immediately, the diner burst into conversation. Everyone was talking about the Joker and what they thought Batman might do. The entire city was probably all up in arms about what was just shown on the news. The Joker was _already_ creating chaos and panic.

_Now, __**this**__ is what Gotham needs! Finally, someone who can match Batman. Gotham is already messed up; why __**not**__ add a little bit of some fun chaos? _I thought, trying to keep the grin from spreading across my face.

I spent the rest of my shift with the Joker in my mind. I watched the clip over and over again as the news channel played in on repeat. I found myself incredibly intrigued by this man, the Joker. The idea of someone trying to replicate the actions of Batman also interested me.

All of a sudden, an idea entered my mind that I couldn't shake the rest of the night. I knew it was probably crazy and would only end in disaster, but it gave me the same kind of feeling I had after beating that man the previous night. It was just what I needed to continue my new lifestyle.

_If Batman can have people following in his footsteps, who's to say I can't do that for the Joker?_

**Thank you for reading! Any reviews or suggestions would be enormously appreciated!**


	3. Chapter Three: Changes

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics.**

**Chapter Three: Changes**

I laid in my bed, staring up at the cracks in the ceiling. I lived in a dump of an apartment, but Gotham was not a cheap city to live in by any means. It was full of rich, arrogant assholes that hid from the rest of the city in their million dollar skyscraper apartments and their huge empty mansions. I only lived here because this is where I grew up; I didn't have enough money to get out of here later on.

Tonight, however, my financial situation was not a worry. In fact, it had actually become an asset. If I were rich or famous like those in the good parts of the city, it would be extremely difficult to do what I was contemplating. I would have too much attention on me already. The way things were right now, I was anonymous.

The Batman imposters and the Joker were both heavily on my mind all evening and were now preventing me from going to sleep. If Batman had a bunch of lunatics making suits and running around to pick up his slack, then maybe I could do the same for the Joker.

I completely agreed with the ideas he had; Batman needed to be taken down and Gotham needed a little more chaos to shake up the wealthy pricks who ran it. If I continued the Joker's ideas, then maybe it would help him to create more panic. People would attribute my work as _his_.

Of course, there was the added bonus of me feeling like I actually had some power. The beating of that disgusting pervert the other night would pale in comparison to what I could do in the name of the Joker.

A small part of me wondered if the Joker would just be mad if I followed his lead, but that could be part of the fun. Besides, what did I really have going for me in my life before now? A run down apartment and a job that made me want to jump off a cliff. Enough was enough.

_Well, I guess that settles it_, I thought, with a smile.

Unable to even attempt to sleep, I jumped out of bed. Grabbing my coat, I hurried out the door and into the cold street. There were a few things I would need before I could start my new life.

**An Hour Later**

The hair dye swirled in an circle down the drain of the shower. After an hour of sitting and waiting, the hair was finally done. I stepped out of the shower; dye dripping all over the water-stained linoleum. I dried my hair with a towel as best I could and went over to the mirror.

My transformation had begun. Looking back at me from the mirror was a

confident, powerful woman. My long, dark brown hair was now a shocking shade of purple. It was a tribute to the man who helped me become this.

The next step was to apply my new makeup. Thick black eyeliner and purple shadow covered my eyes and made my green eyes stand out like emeralds. I then applied the brightest shade of red lipstick that I could find; I didn't have the scars, but I tried to at least show that I noticed. I thought he would like that.

I slipped into a dark green strapless dress. It fell to above my knee and was a change from the somewhat drab things I normally wore to blend in. Pulling on some knee high black boots, I felt like a totally new person. I felt like someone who people would see as intimidating. Beautiful, but dangerous.

_Now for the start of this new life_, I giggled.

I already had a plan in mind. It had been something that I had been daydreaming about for years, but only now did I feel like it was something that I _had _ to do. I had gotten the supplies while I was out on my hair dye and make up run, so I was ready.

**Twenty Minutes Later**

Its funny how people will let a twenty-two year old girl walk right down the street in the middle of the night carrying to containers of gasoline and no one will say a word. No one seemed to want to interfere with a crazy person. This was a good start.

The diner was empty and silent. Doug, my boss, lived upstairs, but he was probably so drunk by now that he wouldn't hear a thing. I opened the door with my employee key and laughed from the ease of everything. No one would be expecting this tonight.

I took the first gasoline container and poured it all over the kitchen. The gas sloshed on the floor and on top of the greasy grills and fryers. Once that was covered, I went back for the second container and poured it all over the counter and the booths. I made sure to pour a little trail out the door behind me as I left. I didn't want to be standing in a burning building myself, now did I?

The sound of the match being lit was the only noise on the street. I threw it down on the gasoline trail and hurried off a little farther down one of the alleys. The flames spread fast; soon the entire downstairs of the building was lit with an orange glow. Smoke began to drift up into the winter sky.

A scream began to come from one of the upstairs windows. Doug must have woken up. This sent another giggle through me. Doug had always been an asshole. He took pleasure in being a tyrant of a boss, then he drank himself into a stupor every night.

The flames grew taller and spread rapidly. It seemed like they were starting to jump to the buildings on either side. I could hear Doug's screams for a couple of minutes and then….nothing.

_I suppose that means I don't have to go to work tomorrow_, I thought; that sent another laughing fit through me that made me double over for a couple of minutes.

I looked to the sky to see if there was a Bat-Signal, but there was nothing. Batman wasn't going to save anyone in that building tonight.

_Sorry, Doug_, I laughed the entire way back to my apartment.

**Thank you for reading! Any reviews or suggestions would be enormously appreciated!**


	4. Chapter Four: First Times

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics.**

**Chapter Four: First Times**

The fire at the diner was all over the news. The police had come to question me the morning after. It was policy, they told me. Policy. The word was repeated over and over like a mantra to protect them. Such stupidity, those people who thought they had all the authority.

The fools didn't even seriously consider me as a suspect for a second. All the years I spent getting angry for being underestimated just because I was a girl were finally over. It was now an asset.

As far as the police were concerned, it was only an accident. They weren't very thorough.

The fire had been a good start. I say it was only a start because it was small and in now way traceable to the Joker. That just wouldn't do. If I was going to do this right, I needed to let it be known that these things I'm doing are for Gotham's newest villain.

"Now what?" I wondered aloud, _Now I'm talking to myself._

This sent me into a giggling fit. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. The Joker and I must have something in common.

I needed to figure out my next move. This time, I wanted to catch the attention of the Joker. I wanted him to know that there was someone out there who admired his work. I hoped that he would see that I was trying to help him spread the chaos around Gotham.

I paced around my apartment. I had already gotten into my makeup and another green and black dress as soon as the police had left; I wanted to use it for inspiration. Just wearing my new uniform made me feel apart from the rest of the city. It made me feel like I was looking in from the outside; an agent of chaos meant to shake up the lives of the people who had allowed themselves to become so complacent.

I would start in an office building. That would be were the money hungry people of Gotham would be during the day. It was perfect; it would allow me to attract the attention I wanted _and _it would let me practice my skills. An office building would be much easier than, say town hall or Wayne Enterprises.

I would need to have some time to prepare. I figured the rest of today and tomorrow would be enough to get my supplies, then I could unleash the chaos these people deserved.

**The Next Night**

My plan was set for tomorrow, but I still had some things I needed to do ahead of time to get ready. I had purchased some simple, time controlled pipe bombs from some of the local thugs in my neighbourhood. It was better to conduct that kind of business to close to home; it was one of the shadier parts of Gotham, so there were no questions asked. A little bit of money and the promise of some destruction went a long way in those parts. Of course, I'm sure a girl in a short, low-cut dress was also a good incentive.

Slipping in with the cleaning people at the end of the workday was easy. No one seemed to care who was coming into the building; they all just wanted to get out to their fancy cars and drive back to their yachts and mansions. I hide the bombs in one of the top floors of the office buildings. I made sure to put some by the windows. I wanted to create the best show for the people down below.

It was easy enough. Honestly, I didn't understand why stuff like this didn't happen more often. Anyone who was disgruntled in the city could easily accomplish the same feat, but I guess people were just lazy. I had been lazy myself until the Joker woke me up.

The bombs didn't take long to set up. Before long, I was finished. The only thing left to do was wait until morning. Even I knew that trying to stay the night in the office building would be impossible. Guards began their patrol shortly after the cleaning services left. I would have to wait the night at the apartment.

_No sleeping tonight for me_, I thought with a grin stretched across my face.

**Early the Next Morning**

I woke up the next morning around a little before noon. I didn't want to run the risk of anyone being on his or her lunch break. The last thing I wanted was for someone to miss the show.

I had fallen asleep in my makeup and dress. It seemed to me that those were my natural state now. I didn't like to look in the mirror without them on. They had become my war paint.

Sliding on my boots, I rushed out the door. I couldn't contain myself as I made my way to the office building. I laughed and yelled in excitement the entire way. No one seemed to care, or else they just didn't want the hassle of trying to stop me.

When I got to the building, I slipped through the crowded lobby with ease. No one here bothered to look at their surroundings. They just wanted to get their business done and go back to screw their maids or receptionists.

I had the elevator all to myself. I was so excited for what was about to happen that I did a dance all around the little room as I made my ascent. I was more thrilled about this than I had ever been about anything in my previous life.

The doors opened up with a ping. I saw the office that I had rigged with explosives alone the night before, but this time it was buzzing with life. People walked around filing papers and having meaningless chitchat by the water cooler. Typical, stereotypical office work.

I walked into the front of the cubicles where the was a miniature lobby, complete with frayed old recliners and expired magazine subscriptions to Sailing Weekly. I slid the small revolver out of the top of my boot and raised it into the air.

"Good morning, everyone!" I yelled, in my best attempt at a cheerleader voice. It was more fun to act like everything was great while they slowly began to realize their lives were in danger; it seemed to put them on edge.

The office drones turned to look at me, confusion plastered on their identical faces. Some people mumbled to each other to ask if they knew what was going on. I waved the gun around over my head. That focused their attention.

"I have an announcement to make to you fine people," I began, "I want you to give me the five people you think should die. If you do this little thing for me, you will all live. If you can't decide in the next five minutes, I will blow up this building and you will _all _die. Your time starts now."

The entire office stared back in horror as I giggled back in their faces. Some people began to scream. A few people tried to point others out for me to kill, but they kept failing to come up with anyone. The tension in the air was thick; the smell of sweat began to stink my nose. The clock on the front wall seemed to tick in a deafening tone.

My giggle turned into full shrieking laughter, "Five minutes is over, loves. I guess you made your choice."

I turned and walked straight back to the elevator. Before the doors shut, I could hear the people screaming and calling out for me to change my mind. Silly fools.

When I reached the lobby, I strolled over to the desk. The receptionist was on the phone, looking increasingly alarmed. Someone must have called down to warn them. I marched right up to her and handed her a small slip of paper.

"Here's my card," I told her with a smirk; it was a battered, yellowed Joker card.

As I turned to leave, I heard the first explosion go off upstairs. I could see the glass and the side of the building crumble down into the street. Sirens sounded in the distance.

_I guess it's a good thing they didn't pick five people_, I mused, _They were going to die anyway once the timer went off. Not having to deal with them just gives me less work._

I walked casually back to my apartment, laughing the entire way back until I shut the door and blocked out the sirens.


	5. Chapter Five: Strategy

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics.**

**Chapter Five: Strategy**

My frustration had started to bubble over. I had spent the past few days pacing my room back and forth. My hair was a half-dreadlocked mess from hours spent twisting fistfuls of it; it was a nervous habit that I had developed at an early age. My makeup was almost smeared half off, with some of it even being caked into my hair. I looked as crazy as I felt these days.

I had counted on the Joker finding me by now. I thought maybe my little stunt at the office had caught his eye. I had come back to my apartment and waiting, hoping he would make himself known to me.

_Why hasn't he found me yet? I blew up that office building's floor to get his attention_, I thought angrily, _Was it not good enough? Is he offended that someone is trying to be like him? What did I do wrong?_

The only conclusion I could come to was that I needed to make myself even more obvious. For all I knew, he was too busy killing and terrorizing the citizens of Gotham to notice just another explosion. I had to take a more direct approach. I needed to go **find** the Joker.

It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time. I needed to figure out where there would be a guaranteed appearance from the man. The city of Gotham was far too big to blindly search. If my explosion hadn't worked, knocking door to door like a Girl Scout would certainly be useless. Unfortunately, that meant I had to sit and watch the news; it was the only way to try to predict where he might go.

Resigned to my plan of sitting on the couch watching television, I threw myself down on my creaky, right-out-of-the-1970s green couch. Flipping on the television, I turned to the Gotham News. Real interesting stuff.

_Oh, joy, _I droned,_ More news about Batman. Wow, he saved another damsel in distress? Heartwarming. Oh, wait, he just saved a school from burning down? That's so touching. They should just call it the Batman channel and get it over with already._

This continued on, complete with reenactments of the "heroic events" and actual footage shot by Batman groupies. I rolled my eyes so often during the broadcasts that they began to hurt.

"In other news, Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises, is having a fundraiser tonight to celebrate the finalization of the updated security systems at Arkham Asylum. The party starts at seven o'clock and will be expected to continue throughout the night. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward mental health awareness in the area. Wayne Enterprises pioneered the new technology…." the reporter continued as I tuned out, thrilled about the jackpot I had just come across.

A party all about celebrating the security systems at Arkham? The Joker wouldn't pass up something like that. It was just too perfect of an opportunity. It would be a blow to one of the most powerful men in Gotham, as well as a spit in the face to Arkham.

Looking at the clock hanging haphazardly on the wall, I saw that it was already six o'clock. I was running out of time.

I rushed into the shower, not even waiting for the water to heat up. Purple dye continued to run out of my hair from the other night as I tried to scrub and pull apart the dreadlocks I had created earlier. Jumping out of the shower, I almost slipped on the sloppy puddle of water and dye that had spread all over the bathroom floor.

This time, I put on my make up with extra care. The Joker was able to get away with the psychotic paint scrawled across his face, but a girl had to look _just right_ to get what she wanted in this town. You never know when you would need some guns or a rigged explosive device.

After I finished getting dress, I checked in the mirror to make sure everything was exactly how I wanted it. I had to look good for my first meeting with the Joker. I had to make just the right impression. I wanted him to know that his legacy was in the right hands; that I wasn't just some slutty girl with a clown fetish.

Checking the clock again on my way out, I saw that I had twenty minutes to get to the fundraiser. I figured the Joker and his men would get there right on time to try to upstage Bruce Wayne; he would want the most dramatic entrance possible.

I ran through the streets, occasionally sliding on a patch of ice hidden under the dirt and grime. My breath rose in smoky clouds in front of me as I panted, trying to ignore a pain forming in my side. If I was going to be a proper villain, I would need to get in shape.

Suddenly, the intimidating behemoth of a building that was Wayne Enterprises rose up before me. I had reached my destination. I leaned back against the frozen building beside the tower and looked up. I could faintly hear the music and laughter of the part wafting down to the streets below.

I had made sure to come to the back staff entrance of the building. I figured this would be where the Joker and his clowns would enter. They wouldn't want to enter in the front and draw to much attention; doing so would only ruin the surprise they had planned for the top floor.

Sure enough, a few seconds later I heard voices and footsteps coming down the alley. Maniacal laughter echoed and bounced off the sides of the buildings. They were here.

I stood my ground. I wanted to appear as confident and assured as possible. No one would want a weak protégée. My heartbeat quickened in excitement as the group of men came around the corner. Anticipation gripped my entire body; I had to bounce up and down on my toes just to keep from exploding from the suspense of it all.

The Joker was in the lead; a pack of his crony clowns followed closely behind him, all holding massive guns in their gloved hands. Their leader seemed completely enthralled at the task he was about to do; so much so that it took him a minute to realize I was there.

His eyes locked onto mine and a jolt of something made me insides feel like they were turned to ice; it felt like he could see right into me. I stood, head held high, as he looked me up and down. Realization flashed through his eyes as he discovered that I was dressed as the obviously more feminine version of himself.

He cocked his head to the side, eyes wide open. His men behind him finally caught sight of me; delayed reactions from a bunch of what I was sure were disposable morons. The entire group stared at me for an uncomfortable amount of time, but I didn't back down. I could tell that the Joker was sizing me up, trying to figure me out.

"Well now, isn't this ahhh….interesting," he laughed, "You're the one who…blew up the office dummies, aren't youuuu?"

"That was me," I replied, my voice clearly showing my pride in the deed.

He nodded, a wild grin spreading across his face. His scars looked even bigger when he was already smiling. The effect was haunting, yet fascinating. The Joker turned towards one of his taller cronies and jerked his head back to me.

The man in the clown mask gave his gun to the Joker, then strode over to me. He grabbed my arm forcibly, pulling me in the opposite direction of the Joker and the rest of the clowns.

The door of Wayne Enterprises slammed shut behind me as they infiltrated the building. I was taken farther and farther away into the darkness of Gotham by the silent, masked man.

If this was how I might get closer to the Joker, then I would just have to see what would happen.

**Thank you for reading. Also, thank you to all of my readers who review! It is greatly appreciated, believe me.**


	6. Chapter Six: Destination

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics.**

**Chapter Six: Destination**

"Where are we going?" I demanded.

I was completely open for some adventure, but this was getting a little ridiculous. We had been walking for about an hour, keeping to the back alleys and out of sight from the public. I wanted to know what was going on. I figured that if it was on the Joker's orders, it could either be good or bad; both of which, I was excited for. This sort of thing was what my life was made up of now.

I waited for a moment to see if the man was going to respond, but nothing happened. I couldn't even see his face behind the ugly clown mask. His posture suggested his was uncomfortable, but it was hard to tell with these goons; it was a known fact that the Joker employed people that lived on the fringe of society, which was a nice way of saying they were crazy. I had no way of knowing what this man was going to do.

The buildings and cars fell behind us as we got to the edge of the city. It was darker out here; no streetlights or streams of florescent lights from inside the house to light our way. Even the sidewalks melted away. The ground underneath my boots was covered in gravel. I had to squint, but I finally realized where the man was taking me.

"The train yard?" I scoffed, "Where are we going, buddy?"

I knew it wasn't a good idea to provoke someone who worked for the Joker, but I had asked for this to happen. I wanted to get deeper into this world of chaos. I had to make it look like I belong there, so laughing at his attempt at intimidating me was my improvised plan.

The clown looked over at me, slowly. Without a word, he tightened his grip on my arm and pulled me into the blackness between the trains. The air smelled like iron; sharp and metallic, the smell bit into my nose. I was being pulled so quickly that I was barely able to walk. I stumbled over the loose rocks and was almost completely thrown on the ground whenever we stepped over the tracks. I became disoriented in the mess of railcars; they all looked exactly the same.

Finally, almost spraining my ankles multiple times, we stopped. One of the random, nondescript train cars stood before us. I couldn't see any distinguishing features or anything that would be special enough for the man to stop at this one. Maybe that was the point.

The man, still keeping his death grip on my arm, reached over and slide open the heavy metal door on the side of the train car. A gust of stale air rushed out of the open door; the smell of old cow manure and hay made my eyes water. The inside of the car was pitch back.

I didn't realize what was going to happen in time for me to brace myself. The man picked me up and roughly through me into the shadows of the car. I hit the filthy floor face first. Grit from the metal floor stung in my eyes.

_I don't even want to think about what that is…_I thought with a shudder.

Not wanting to be seen off my feet or in a weak position, I scrambled until I was standing and facing the door. There was just enough of a difference in light that I could see that the clown had climbed in behind me and was standing in the doorway.

"So what is this, handsome? Let me guess, you're supposed to interrogate me now. Is that it?" I said, wanting to get an upper hand in the situation.

A good villain was always ready for what was next. There was no way in Hell that I was going to let this idiot get the best of me. I could feel the knife I had hid in my boot nestled against my leg; I was prepared to fight if that's what it came down to tonight.

"What's your name?" the clown asked.

His voice was gruff, but that was probably something he was doing on purpose. Apparently, a mask wasn't enough to hide your identity from a young girl; I must have the ability to recognize one voice out of an entire city's worth of people. I made up my mind that this guy was just another mindless lackey that the Joker picked up. I decided that I needed to have a little fun in this situation. This guy was obviously stupid; otherwise he would have checked me for weapons a long time ago.

"What's that, Hun?" I said, in a sickly sweet tone, "I can't seem to understand you under that mask."

"Don't play games with me," he replied.

I smiled back in response, looking innocent. Well, as innocent as I could being dressed like the Joker.

"What's your intention?" the man asked.

"Same as yours," I told him, "I want to create havoc for the people of Gotham. Except, unlike you, I've got the brains to pull it off."

Whether or not this made him mad, I would never know. His mask made him an impassive observer in the conversation.

"Are you working for Batman or the Gotham Police Department?" he questioned.

This set me off into uncontrollable giggles, but I choked out, "No, dumbass. Does blowing up an office sound like a Batman kind of move?"

"Are you working for the mob?" was the next question.

I was starting to get annoyed now. Wasn't it obvious that I only had interested in working alongside the Joker? I thought my actions and appearance were making that perfectly clear. I was done with the conversation.

"Listen here, I'm not working for anyone. All I want to do is the same thing the Joker wants: chaos. Now, run along and go get your boss, little boy. I'm done talking to you. Let me know when you're ready for the big leagues," I spat.

I turned and walked to the back of the train car. I sat down on an old, moldy bale of leftover hay and looked pointedly at the clown to leave. It must have been the only time anyone had spoke to an accomplice of the Joker that way because he stood there in what could only be interpreted as a shocked silence.

Without another word, the man climbed out of the car. He gave me a slow wave, then slammed the door of the train car shut. The total darkness enveloped me in my new tomb.

**Thank you for reading! Any suggestions or reviews would be amazing and greatly appreciated.**


	7. Chapter Seven: Face to Face

**I apologize for getting this out so late. I just started at a new university and I'm still getting used to going to a bigger school and not just a community college. I promise that the new chapters will come out faster now though.**

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics.**

**Chapter Seven: Face to Face **

I couldn't tell how many days it had been since the door closed on my dark little world inside the train car. It must have been at least three; my cell phone died within two days, leaving me without even the dimmest of fake light, so I had to guess from there. The darkness was so deep that my eyes could never seem to adjust. Once in a while, I would think I saw something, but it was just a shadow of a shadow in this echoing hole.

I had decided not to let myself be disheartened. I obviously wasn't a threat to the Joker or his ventures, so I was betting that this imprisonment was a test of some sort. I had to prove that I was tough enough to be worthy of him; I wasn't allowed to crack under any kind of pressure.

Honestly, it wasn't that hard not to panic. I had no family, no friends, not even a boss anymore; no one would come looking for me. That thought would probably send most people into an anxiety attack, but it gave me a sense of calm. I didn't have anyone to disappoint or send into grief; I was right where I was supposed to be, whether it turned out good or bad. I figured even if this ended with me dying alone in a train yard, at least I had made an attempt at being someone.

I laid on my back on the cold, gritty floor, staring up at clouds I couldn't see. I faded in and out of sleep, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling of hunger that occupied most of my thoughts.

A noise from outside made me bolt upright, which after not eating, only served to give me a spinning headache. The crunch of gravel outside signified the presence of footsteps. From what I could tell, it was only one person. The person stopped outside of the car, so close I could hear their breathing. It seemed like they were waiting before opening the door, probably anticipating an attack from some crazed, starved lunatic.

My heartbeat quickened, _This is it. Now I'll finally know where I stand with the Joker._

The door of the car screeched open. Light flooded in; it was more blinding than anything I had ever seen. My attempt at looking tough was diminished as I turned away from the painful brightness.

"Hellllloooo, girlie," a high voice exclaimed.

_The Joker! _I thought with a jolt of excitement, _He's here. He didn't just send one of his clowns. This must mean I'm interesting enough to get his attention. _

I turned to face him, trying to ignore the sun-induced multi-coloured spots that clouded my vision. The Joker was standing in the train car right in front of me, dressed in his usual disturbingly interesting attire and make up. His scars stood out in the daylight, but somehow didn't look quite as menacing. I realized that most of the time I had seen footage of him, it was in the darkness of night.

The Joker shook his head dramatically at me, "You're not going to say hello back? Well that's just rude, love."

He wagged his finger back and forth at me like an old school teacher. Walking towards me, it was clear from his expression that he expected me to shrink away in fear. When I didn't react how he wanted, he looked confused.

"What are your uhhhh…. intentions with all this, hmm?" he questioned, "Why would a little girl like you want to get involved with a guy like me, hmm?"

Insulted, I shot back, "Little girl? Would a little girl set fire to a restaurant and kill her boss? Would a little girl blow up an office in the middle of the city? Do I _seem_ like a little girl to you?"

"Oh, you have some fight in you!" he grinned, clapping his hands.

I nodded slowly, trying not to get too excited too quickly about the way things were going. The Joker was known to have mood swings that sometimes ended violently. My praise was likely to turn into a stab wound.

His voice turned deeper, more businesslike, "Now let's talk about the dirty stuff, shall we?"

"Of course," I replied, letting him know that I wasn't going to back down.

"Are you working for Batman?" he asked.

This question made me groan and roll my eyes, "Seriously? I'm fucking tired of answering this question!"

My outburst seemed to give the Joker a bit of a shock. His eyes widened and he temporarily looked slightly out of character. Apparently, no one had ever talked like that to him before.

"What did you say to me?" he growled, coming closer to me.

His fingers flickered to the pocket of his coat; I would guess that was where he kept his knife. I was testing his temper.

"I _said,_" I gritted my teeth, "That I am tired of answering this. I am _not_ working for Batman. I would never work for that arrogant snob, thank you."

The Joker narrowed his eyes at my answer, "Is that soooo? That's highly unusual. I would think a girlie like you would love Batman and his heroic deeds for Gotham. I would think you would just want to swoon at the sight of him."

"Don't make me gag," I sneered, "His actions are meddlesome at best."

The Joker turned his head sideways and looked me over once more. His forehead wrinkled in thought, causing the white makeup to have creases in it. His tongue flicked out in what I assumed was a nervous habit. He didn't seem to know quite what to make of me. This little interrogation session was obviously not going how he had imagined.

"So now what, Joker?" I prompted, daring myself to be bold while he was still in a state of astonishment.

He collected himself quickly, trying not to show any kind of weakness in his pause, "Yes, ahhh, I guess you want to come work for me, huh love?"

"Work _for_ you?" I scoffed, "Not quite. I want to work _with_ you actually. I have no interest in being just another one of your clowns."

"Is that right?" he countered.

I nodded, standing up to be at an equal level with him, "I'm not like those cronies. I have brains. I know how to orchestra my own crimes, not just follow orders. I want the same thing you do for Gotham."

"Oh, yeah? And what is that?" he replied.

I smiled simply at him, "Chaos."

**Thank you for reading! Any suggestions or reviews would be amazing and greatly appreciated.**


	8. Chapter Eight: Home Sweet Home

**I apologize for take so incredibly long to write again. I've had the worst writer's block ever. I promise that the new chapters will come out faster now though.**

**This story takes place in an alternative universe, but may or may not also have Dark Knight references. I'm only newly into the Batman series (captured by the Joker!), so I'm learning as I write. For the record, I do NOT own any characters from the Dark Knight or any Batman movies/comics.**

**Chapter Eight: Home Sweet Home**

I sat in the passenger's seat of the old beat up car as we drove about a hundred miles per hour down an empty street. The window was smashed open, so the wind was whipping my hair around my face violently, making it look like flames out of the corner of my eye.

The Joker sat behind the wheel, giggling incessantly and repeating what I said earlier about wanting chaos for Gotham. It would seem that I had impressed him, or at least entertained him for a while.

"I like you, girlie. Yes, I do. I think we are going to have lots of fun, hmm?" he laughed.

I grinned back at him, "Fucking right, we are."

He spun around a corner and into an empty lot, screeching to a stop so hard that I would have flung against the dashboard if he hadn't grabbed my arm at the last second. He motioned towards an empty and fairly nondescript warehouse with a flourish.

"Welcome home, lovely," he said, "I think you'll uhhh….enjoy yourself here, if I have any say about it."

I laughed, "Don't flatter yourself, Joker. We'll see how it goes, shall we?"

"Oh, we will," he said, half in a cackle and half in a threat.

The Joker threw the car door open and jumped out. Before I even had a chance to touch the handle on my side, he had run over and pulled the door open for me. I sat and looked at him, eyebrow cocked in disbelief.

"The Joker is a gentlemen, huh?" I questioned.

"Never, ever," he replied, "But for you, love, I make an exception."

I slid out of the seat as the Joker took a low bow. I chuckled at him and shook my head, walking around him.

I took a look around at the area. Everything was covered in dirt and looked about thirty years old. The sidewalks were crumbling and weeds were growing up through the cracks. The warehouse before me stretched almost the entire length of the block. The windows were broken out in many places and the entire thing looked about ready to cave in.

"Whaddya think, hmm?" the Joker asked, tilting his head to the side.

"It better look nicer on the inside," I told him.

This apparently cracked him up because he started cackling and thumped me hard on the back, "I'm soooo glad I didn't kill you. Soooo glad."

The Joker grabbed my hand tightly and pulled me roughly along. I followed, trying to keep my feet under me and my face off the sidewalk. His hand gripped mine so forcefully that I could feel it already starting to bruise, but my excitement outweighed the pain. My heart pumped faster and faster the closer we got to the building.

We reached a huge steel door, which the Joker flung open. He pushed me inside first and slammed the door behind us. I could hear him click at least five locks.

It was so dark inside that I didn't move, afraid that I would fall through a rotted floor or onto a rusted pipe. I could hear the Joker's ragged breathing behind me, getting faster as he crept closer behind me.

"Don't even try anything, Joker. I might be interested in working with you, but for _that_ you have to earn it just like any other guy," I mocked him.

I knew talking to him like this would get most people their throat slit, but for some reason, I knew it would be okay for me to do it. If he was going to kill me for pissing him off, he would have done it already. Even if this was all a game for him, he wasn't done with it or me. I had a feeling that the more I challenged him and mocked him, the more he liked me.

"All in good time, girlie," he scoffed.

After a few minutes of complete darkness, I finally started getting annoyed, "Joker, what the fuck are we doing?"

A low giggle cut through the blackness. His fingers found my arm and once again, he dragged me along behind him. I have no idea how he found his way in the darkness, but we made our way down, what I thought must be a corridor and eventually a few flights of stairs. The sounds of our footsteps echoed.

"Pretty lame headquarters," I teased, "Should have stolen some money from the Batman to pay for electricity."

His grip hardened on my wrist, but I ignored it. I was sure this was another scare tactic the Joker was trying to pull and there was no way I was going to let him think it was going to work. Already, this was much more interesting than my previous life as a waitress, so nothing was going to phase me.

The Joker stopped so abruptly that I ran right into him.

"Don't get fresh, girlie," he taunted.

"Please, you wish," I scoffed.

He answered by flipping a light switch. The fluorescent lighting was glaringly bright and made my head ache, but that paled in comparison to the shock I felt at the sight in front of me.

"Are we still in the warehouse? Where the hell are we?" I demanded.

Instead of a decaying mess of a warehouse interior, there was a very modern looking studio apartment-style room. Everything was surprisingly clean. Huge windows covered in thick curtains lined the wall. Bright green and black furniture stretched across the wood floor. On the far side of the open area was a kitchen and a few doors leading to, what I assumed, would be bedrooms.

"Holy shit," I exclaimed.

"Do you….uhhh….like it?" he asked, arrogant in his tone.

He spun around in a circle and threw himself down in an armchair.

"I always thought you had more style than living in a dirty warehouse would allow," I remarked, walking over to sit down in a chair next to him.

"Crime pays pretty well," he answered.

I nodded, "If you're good at something, never do it for free."

The Joker cracked up at this and clapped his hands, "Oh, we are uhh….going to get along just fine, lovely."

**Thank you for reading! Any suggestions or reviews would be amazing and greatly appreciated!**


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